Indicate when overtaking

tommyspiggy

Hi
My brother just started lessons and was told by his instructor it is necessary to indicate when overtaking regardless of anyone is around or not , but I was told previously by my instructor there is no need to indicate if no one will Benift from it. So which is correct? Thanks

mhackett102

I completed my 12 lessons in September and I was always told to indicate when overtaking a car, whether anyone is in the car or not.

Even when Im driving on the main road, at lets say 2am, and there is a car on the side of the road and no other motorists or anyone around, I still indicate and overtake. You'd just get into the habit

tommyspiggy

Thanks

Creamy Goodness

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around does it make a sound?

Answer that and you have your answer.

tommyspiggy

Haha Yes

xabi

Who's in the car being overtaken?

Wrt the indicating, While technically correct, it's best to get into a habit of indicating at all times.

tommyspiggy

So basically my brothers instructor is more correct about this than my one was . Thanks for replies lads

bbbbb

There's also the possibility of not seeing who's around. Better safe than sorry

miss choc

I always indicate when overtaking, correctly at roundabouts in small estates even when there are no cars around. One of my bug bears people not indicating properly or at all.

km991148

tommyspiggy wrote: »

Hi
indicate when overtaking regardless of anyone is around or not

tommyspiggy wrote: »

Hi
no one will Benift from it.

What about the person you are overtaking - they are around?

Unless you mean stationary vehicles/ street furniture etc - even then always indicate- I don't understand the hassle in indicating - as other say it keeps you in the habit of doing it (as with checking mirrors M-S-M etc) - plus there may be someone around you never seen or accounted for!

tommyspiggy

Kinda phrased it wrong, i meant stationary vechiles/obstructions etc. Thanks

Mehaffey1

Every time you cross the white line in the middle you should indicate is what I was always told. Even nipping over it to pass a parked car etc. Also can't stand people who don't indicate, if anything can stop and accident or a near miss before it had a chance to get to that stage.

ProudDUB

You always indicate if you are deviating from your driving position on the road, which you are if you are overtaking another car. Whether or not someone else is around to see it, is entirely irrelevant. If you fail to indicate during your test, you will definitely get marked down for it. That is pretty basic stuff. If you got advise like that from a qualified driving instructor, I'd be seriously questioning his competence as an instructor.

jimgoose

You're brother's instructor is correct. Only signalling when someone will benefit is a U.K. thing and only practised here at the advanced level.

ProudDUB

jimgoose wrote: »

You're brother's instructor is correct. Only signalling when someone will benefit is a U.K. thing and only practised here at the advanced level.

Advanced level of what exactly? If you don't indicate during the test, you WILL get a Grade 2 mark for it, regardless of what cars are or are not around you. You may even get a Grade 3 (an automatic fail) mark if the tester think the circumstances are so dangerous, that the situation warrants it.

As this is the learning to drive forum, surely passing the test by observing the rules of the road, should be the goal here, not some random "ah, only do it sometimes" logic? If you do it all the time, it becomes so ingrained, odd are you'll do it during the test, and you have nothing to worry about. If you pick and choose when to do things like this, the odds are good that you'll forget to do it during the test.

No one has 360 degree vision all of the time. You indicate to show your intentions to all road users...pedestrians crossing the road, cyclists, cars leaving driveways and car parks, on coming cars, cars sitting at other junctions waiting to enter to road you are on, cars behind you, etc etc. You can't see all of them, all of the time. Just because you can't see them, it doesn't mean that they shouldn't to be clued in on your intentions. It's not just about you and the car you are over taking.

jimgoose

ProudDUB wrote: »

...

Yes, I know. I'm agreeing with the instructor who teaches to indicate all the time. What I am also saying is that the DSA in the UK and advanced driving institutions here such as RoSPA Ireland are of the view that signalling-by-rote when there's no-one around to take information from it is the equivalent of pressing a pedestrian crossing button at 3am in a rural town when there's no traffic around for miles. They reckon only doing it when necessary like that encourages better self-analysis and observation.

Maybe this is where the other instructor is confused/misled? What is appropriate for the master is not necessarily appropriate for the novice, and vice-versa. A signal is always given, DSA/RoSPA or otherwise, when overtaking a moving vehicle, and when turning at a junction.

Roadcraft

jimgoose wrote: »

You're brother's instructor is correct. Only signalling when someone will benefit is a U.K. thing and only practised here at the advanced level.

I would agree, you can also give a misleading signal.

Example: you are approaching a junction, you have no following or approaching traffic, there is a cyclist up ahead before the junction & a car in the junction waiting to turn right & you have plenty of room to overtake without crossing any lines.

Would you give a signal (Indicator?), or would you give a signal with your position on the road?

The driver could misread your signal & pull out (also a grade 2 fault).

jimgoose

Roadcraft wrote: »

I would agree, you can also give a misleading signal.

Example: you are approaching a junction, you have no following or approaching traffic, there is a cyclist up ahead before the junction & a car in the junction waiting to turn right & you have plenty of room to overtake without crossing any lines.

Would you give a signal (Indicator?), or would you give a signal with your position on the road?

The driver could misread your signal & pull out (also a grade 2 fault).

There it is. Of such things are clatters made.

Mind you, it would be "advanced" of the person turning right onto the major road to notice the ambiguity and potential danger, and hold tough until the bicycle and other car have cleared off.

iamtony

miss choc wrote: »

I always indicate when overtaking, correctly at roundabouts in small estates even when there are no cars around. One of my bug bears people not indicating properly or at all.

If you indicate correctly at one of those mini roundabouts in estates that you can drive over it can be misleading.
For example if your on a straight road and the only exit is a right turn off the mini roundabout technically the second exit the correct procedure if following normal roundabout rules will tell you not to indicate till you pass the first exit(which would be straight on) and then indicate left after you have passed the first turn.
The sensible way to do it is to just indicate right. Off topic I know but does anyone know if there is legislation that give different rules for these mini roundabouts?
Also if you are going straight on the correct thing to do is indicate left as it's the first exit.

user.name

iamtony wrote: »

If you indicate correctly at one of those mini roundabouts in estates that you can drive over it can be misleading.
For example if your on a straight road and the only exit is a right turn off the mini roundabout technically the second exit the correct procedure if following normal roundabout rules will tell you not to indicate till you pass the first exit(which would be straight on) and then indicate left after you have passed the first turn.
The sensible way to do it is to just indicate right. Off topic I know but does anyone know if there is legislation that give different rules for these mini roundabouts?
Also if you are going straight on the correct thing to do is indicate left as it's the first exit.

I think it more so is about the position on the exit of the roundabout to when you are entering the roundabout, after 12 o clock etc. The rules for roundabouts and how to approach them are in the rules of the road book, it has everything you need to know. It basically says that you need to treat mini roundabouts like normal ones even though most people just drive over them :pac:

Craftylee

In my opinion you should always indicate when changing direction/lane. The UK rule of only do it when there's someone "who will benefit" is a bit weird to me - firstly that means you need to check everywhere to see if anyone will benefit (let's face it most people don't check mirrors when turning). Plus what if you accidentally don't see someone and you don't indicate because "no one will benefit" - for the sake of clicking the indicator stick regardless if anyone will benefit it should always be used imo.

When overtaking I always use my quick signal - it's just a good habit and courtesy to other drivers.